Shyness, Unsociability, and Social Avoidance During Early Adolescence: Associations With Peer Relationships and Aggression

Abstract

We investigated how 5th–8th graders’ self- and peer-identified withdrawal motivations predicted peer-reported peer relationships and aggression. Participants ( N = 221; 47% male) provided self-reports and peer-nomination data (we analyzed 339 students’ nominations). We hypothesized shyness, unsociability, and avoidance would predict low peer liking and high exclusion; shyness and avoidance would predict high victimization and peer disliking; and avoidance would predict high aggression. Support was mixed. Results varied by withdrawal motivation reporter. Self-identified shy and avoidant individuals had low peer liking. Self-identified shy individuals had low disliking and low victimization. Peer-identified shy individuals had low disliking, high exclusion, and low aggression. Peer-identified unsociable individuals had low liking and high exclusion. Peer-identified avoidant individuals had low liking, high disliking, high exclusion, high victimization, and high aggression. Results suggest that peer-identified avoidant individuals have a concerning profile of peer relationships and aggression. Longitudinal work is needed to understand the developmental sequelae of avoidance.

The moderating effect of marital conflict on the relationship between social avoidance and socio-emotional functioning among young children in suburban China

“…Social avoidance is considered an extreme form of shyness/social anxiety and represents an early manifestation of depression ( Asendorpf, 1990 ; Schmidt and Fox, 1999 ). Consistent with this assertion, results from several studies found social avoidance is associated with maladjustment outcomes, such as peer exclusion, loneliness, and depression in Western societies ( Bowker et al, 2017 ; Coplan et al, 2018 , 2021 ; Eggum et al, 2022 ; Sette et al, 2022 ). For example, Sette et al (2022) found that, after controlling for shyness and unsociability, social avoidance was positively associated with loneliness, regardless of children’s age or gender, in Italian children.…”

“…The “functioning” of social behavior is determined by social and cultural contexts ( Chen and French, 2008 ). For social withdrawal, especially shyness and unsociability, previous studies mainly focused on Western and urban Chinese children ( Liu et al, 2015 ; Coplan et al, 2018 ; Ding et al, 2019 ; Poole et al, 2020 ; Eggum et al, 2022 ; Sette et al, 2022 ). To expand the research in this area, the present study examined the relations between social avoidance and socio-emotional functioning, and further explored the moderating role of marital conflict in the links between social avoidance and indices of socio-emotional functioning among young children in the context of contemporary suburban China.…”

“…For example, Sette et al (2022) found that, after controlling for shyness and unsociability, social avoidance was positively associated with loneliness, regardless of children’s age or gender, in Italian children. Eggum et al (2022) found that United States school-aged children, who were identified as having a social avoidance motivation by peers, were more likely to be disliked by their peers. Coplan et al (2018) found that social avoidance was associated with peer difficulties among Canadian preschoolers after controlling for shyness and unsociability.…”

“…By contrast, unsociable children prefer to spend time alone, however, are able to function well in social settings ( Coplan et al, 2018 , 2021 ). In Western culture, unsociability is relatively benign, particularly in early childhood, and has not been associated with negative adjustment such as peer liking, peer disliking, exclusion, aggression, or victimization ( Sette et al, 2017 ; Coplan et al, 2018 ; Eggum et al, 2022 ).…”

“…Consistently, a recent study suggests that, among Italian primary school children, social avoidance is significantly associated with self-reported depression, particularly in older children ( Sette et al, 2022 ). Previous studies indicated that social avoidance was associated with a host of adjustment difficulties, such as peer problems (e.g., rejection, exclusion, and victimization) and internalizing problems (e.g., loneliness, depression, and social anxiety; Bowker et al, 2017 ; Coplan et al, 2018 ; Eggum et al, 2022 ; Sette et al, 2022 ).…”